1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for the elimination or destruction of a wide variety of microorganisms, particularly harmful bacteria in the air.
2. The Prior Art
In the early years prior to the present invention, light emitting diodes (LED) did not produce light of sufficient intensity for many applications since they required a lot of power and in some instances extra cooling. Moreover, the typical life estimates of high output ultraviolet LED's was so short as to render them unsatisfactory for many uses. More recently, however, due in part to the advances made by the NASA Marshall Space flight Center and others, the technology relating to LED's has advanced dramatically. The present day LED's have become extremely powerful, cold to the touch and require very little energy.
Accordingly, light emitting diodes are now finding a wide variety of applications in both industrial and medical fields. For instance the newer LEDs are now capable of destroying a wide variety of microorganisms, particularly bacteria which cause skin infections including staph, strep and the like. LEDs have also been found to be useful in the destruction of the small pox virus, anthrax and the like.
Much of the published experimental work done by NASA with LEDs relates to the affects of LEDs on cells, muscle and bone since it had been observed that normal wound healing and cell growth are negatively affected by diminished gravity as is encountered in space. It has been observed that the applications of light therapy with the use of LEDs significantly improved wound healing and cell and bone growth of astronauts on long term space missions.
Another area of technology in the medical field is the use of LEDs in photodynamic therapy where an injected photosensitizer such as in cancer therapy, concentrates in a tumor, and when activated by a light source, can destroy the tumor.
Prior to the advance in LED technology, low level laser therapy had been used for performing therapy on patients particularly for the management and symptomatic relief of pain. The low level laser therapy could reach deep into tissues and yet without harm to the tissues. However, the combined wavelengths of light which are optional for wound healing cannot be efficiently produced and the size of wounds that can be treated by lasers is severely limited. Hence, LEDs offer an effective alternate to lasers for many applications, including pain therapy. LEDs are safe, non-invasive, drug free and therapeutic. It is believed that LED treatment stimulates natural physiological changes in the cells of a patients' body and helps to relieve pain naturally.
Although the use of ultra violet light for the sterilization of microorganisms was not practical up to the present due to the estimated limited life span of high output ultraviolet light emitting diodes, more recently technology has been developed high power ultra violet emitting diodes which have much longer spans. For example, it is now possible to have systems of 500 milliamps as opposed to the lower earlier systems of 30 milliamps.
Accordingly, the interest in developing method for sterilization of air and surfaces, including the treatment of human tissue, with LED's has increased markedly.
However, prior to the present invention, the devices presently used were somewhat cumbersome and tied to a fixed energy source which limited their portability. The present invention, therefore, has provided a small device which can be obtained in the form of a kit and useful for a variety of applications.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a small, compact ultra-violet LED device which is useful in the destruction of microorganisms, and in particular, harmful bacteria. The device is also useful in a wide variety of therapeutic treatments. Another object of this invention is to provide a device which is compact and has its own independent energy source or can be connected to an existing energy source. A still further object is to provide a hand held device which can be used to destroy bacteria that can cause pimples, boils, infections, and the like. Another aspect of this invention is to provide an LED device which emits a strong ultra-violet light source capable of penetrating through several layers of skin to destroy infectious bacteria or to be strategically placed to kill airborne bacteria. A still further object is to provide a hand held device which contains restraints to avoid accidental activation of the LED or unnecessary exposure to emitted light. Another object of this invention is to provide a device which contains a timer to limit the interval that the device is on. A still further object is to provide methods for utilizing the device of the present invention for the destructions of microorganisms and the treatment of various patient conditions. Another object is to provide a kit comprised of the device, preferably in the shape of a pen, battery, battery recharger and goggles for eye protection. Another object is to provide a device for placement in an air duct to decontaminate air flowing through the air duct.
These and other objects will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein set forth.